Author Topic: Breaking in a new contender barrel (Read 973 times)

ghostZ · « **on:** September 11, 2003, 10:24:27 AM »

I am buying a contender this week and wanted to know what is the best practice to break in a new barrel. I have heard stories about different guns but never a contender barrel.
Thanks

Questor · « **Reply #1 on:** September 11, 2003, 11:12:34 AM »

I have not broken in any barrels on any guns and everything has been fine-- sub-moa groups on bottleneck cartridges, and close to moa on straight-walls.

KN · « **Reply #2 on:** September 11, 2003, 12:21:59 PM »

I agree with Questor, I have done the "break in " procedures before and cant tell any difference from the ones that weren't broken in. If you have an unusually rough bore then lapping may be in order but in most cases you'll never be able to tell any difference. Just clean it good after each shooting session. KN

kciH · « **Reply #3 on:** September 11, 2003, 02:00:29 PM »

ghostz,
I wouldn't worry about it unless you're shooting many rounds or using a bullet that tends to foul more than normal. What caliber barrel are you going to get? A 22-250 will typically need more frequent cleaning than a .308, as an example, before accuracy degrades as a result of copper fouling. It never hurts to take the new barrel and clean it well with JB Bore Paste before you take it to the range the first time, it can pay dividends in easier cleaning after that first shooting session.

Duffy · « **Reply #4 on:** September 11, 2003, 07:05:01 PM »

Like said above Clean it Before You shoot it. Both of my Encore bbls were filthy. Just peering down them they didn't look bad but when I looked with a magnafier they were really crappy. Took about 2 hrs for one and 4 on the other to get em shiney and where the patches came out clean. That seems to make more diffence than a break in procedure although I do clean them well after a few rounds and then just shoot em.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 12, 2003, 03:59:54 AM »

I have never broke in a barrel on any of my Contenders or Encore barrels. I just clean the real good when I first get them and real good after shooting. I have a .223 , 22-250, 30-30, 35 Remington and 30-06 barrel. All shoot extremely well without all the fuss over barrel break in. I have never broke in any of my guns according to some of the posted break in procedures. Just my humble opinion

helobill · « **Reply #6 on:** September 12, 2003, 05:51:25 AM »

Well I'll be the dissenter in this. I always break in my barrels. Never had the money to buy two barrels and try a side by side to see if it really makes a difference. I use the procedures VVCG requires if you want to keep the barrel's accuracy guaranteed by them. But it also is just about what my dad taught me 35 years ago. Personally, I can't see where cleaning a barrel more often could hurt, so even after the first 55 shots I still clean after every 5-10 shots. And yes I do take a cleaning rod with me to the range. The other side of that is I've been a military pistol instructor (2 years at the Naval Academy Range) and seen over 500 rounds shot through all 50+ 1911A1's without cleaning. Couldn't really say accuracy suffered because of it. I will say your hunting barrel should be in the same condition as it is when your sighting it in. So if you don't clean often, and zero with a dirty barrel, you should shoot a couple fouling shots before you head off to hunt. Wouldn't want that first shot out of a clean barrel to be somewhere you didn't intend it to go.
Helicopter Bill

VVCG says:
First 5 Shots Clean the barrel after EACH shot*

Next 50 Shots Clean the barrel after each 3-5 shots*

Your new barrel is now Broken-in

* Cleaning the Barrel Means:

Using a plastic coated cleaning rod, a good quality bronze brush and patch tip, flannel patches and a quality bore solvent.
(1) Saturate a patch with bore solvent, Run the patch thru the bore (from breech end ONLY) twice to remove powder fouling and wet the bore.
(2) Saturate the bronze brush with solvent and make 20 passes through the barrel (10 Cycles).
(3) Let the solvent soak in the barrel for 10 minutes.
(4) Saturate the brush with solvent again. Make 20 more passes (10 cycles) thru the Barrel.
(5) Push 3 clean patches thru the barrel to remove excess solvent and loosened Fouling.

Barrel cleaning is now complete. To insure the highest possible barrel quality, you should repeat this cleaning procedure every 20-25 shots. Failure to do so could result in excessive build up of fouling in the bore causing accuracy to deteriorate. Our accuracy guarantee does not cover excessively fouled barrels.

ghostZ · « **Reply #7 on:** September 12, 2003, 05:57:44 AM »

Thanks for the input guys. I clean my guns after every shooting outing. I think with my new contender I will clean when shooting after every 5.

I bought 2 used barrels last night so I guess it might be too late for "break in" anyways.

kciH · « **Reply #8 on:** September 12, 2003, 07:46:39 AM »

Ghostz,
Keep in mind that if you're firing 5-shot groups for accuracy that you're going to have to fire at least one, if not two, shot(s) before shooting for group after cleaning. If your barrel needs cleaning after 5 shots to produce any kind of accuracy, I'd sell it to someone else and be rid of it. If you can't get 20 spaced shots out of a barrel before accuracy falls off, there is something wrong with it or your bullets.

ghostZ · « **Reply #9 on:** September 12, 2003, 08:13:49 AM »

What about if I am just a sh%@y shot?

quicksdraw45 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 12, 2003, 12:42:26 PM »

I have several freinds that are really into the benchrest game , They typically clean about every 20-25 rounds and the change in accuracy is small but really matters to this bunch . I typically clean after about 50-60 rounds . IMHO all this breakin of a barrel is a bunch of bull , It makes very little difference .

Duffy · « **Reply #11 on:** September 12, 2003, 06:35:08 PM »

Ghostz, Then all the cleaning in the world ain't gonna help!:)

Just for a test I left my 708 bbl alone and just shot it until the groups opened up and it was around 60 rounds of no cleaning. Actually mine shoots the best when clean for the first 5-10 rounds then it opens up just a little and stays there until it gets to the 50-60 rounds and then it's really crappy. Of course it could be me!!!!